Hex Mayflies
Hexagenia limbata
The famous nocturnal Hex hatch of the Midwest (and a few other lucky locations) stirs to the surface mythically large brown trout that only touch streamers for the rest of the year.
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I was not fishing, but happened to be at an unrelated social event on a hill above this tiny creek (which I never even saw) when this stonefly flew by me. I assume it came from there. Some key characteristics are tricky to follow, but process of elimination ultimately led me to Sweltsa borealis. It is reassuringly similar to this specimen posted by Bob Newell years ago. It is also so strikingly similar to this nymph from the same river system that I'm comfortable identifying that nymph from this adult. I was especially pleased with the closeup photo of four mites parasitizing this one.
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Mayfly Family Leptophlebiidae (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns)
The champions of this family are Leptophlebia and Paraleptophlebia, along with the relatively newly-defined genus Neoleptophlebia containing several important species that were once in Paraleptophlebia. The large mayflies of Leptophlebia are on the water sporadically for a long time. The Paraleptophlebia and Neoleptophlebia flies are smaller but come in much more concentrated numbers.
Leptophlebiidae also contains several genera and species which are never mentioned in fly-fishing literature, either because they are too rare or because they require water too warm for trout.
Leptophlebiidae also contains several genera and species which are never mentioned in fly-fishing literature, either because they are too rare or because they require water too warm for trout.
Family Range
Identification
To determine whether a specimen of Ephemeroptera belongs to Leptophlebiidae, use the Key to Families of Mayfly Nymphs or Key to Families of Mayfly Duns and Spinners.
Specimens of the Mayfly Family Leptophlebiidae
6 Male Duns
This Leptophlebia cupida dun was extremely cooperative, and it molted into a spinner for me in front of the camera. Here I have a few dun pictures and one spinner picture, and I've put the entire molting sequence in an article.
This is either Neoleptophlebia or Paraleptophlebia; I know of no way to be sure from a female dun alone. The genus is only a guess based on the fact that I found more Neoleptophlebia nymphs in the general area.
You wonder sometimes how certain insects get their common names. This one is called the 'mahogany dun' for some unknown reason.
8 Female Duns
I hadn't seen an intact adult mayfly to catch all day, when suddenly I saw this Paraleptophlebia dun flying six inches in front of my face and nabbed it with my hand without even thinking. It has some sort of bright debris on it that probably comes from placing it in a transport container that hadn't been cleaned recently enough.
I'm just guessing Neoleptophlebia on this one. It could easily be Paraleptophlebia.
I collected this mayfly after user Al514 tipped me off to the presence of some Leptophlebia mayflies I didn't seem to have yet with his ID request of a male dun. This seems to be of the same species. I also collected a female spinner. Based on that spinner, I can tell that this is either Leptophlebia cupida or Leptophlebia nebulosa, but I can't tell which.
Unfortunately none of the specimens I collected made it through the hot, sunny day very well. So the pictures aren't great, but they're better than nothing.
Unfortunately none of the specimens I collected made it through the hot, sunny day very well. So the pictures aren't great, but they're better than nothing.
I really hoped to catch some good blue quill specimens on this trip, but they are very fragile mayflies and this one was in the best condition of the few that I caught after I drove them home to my camera. It may not be pretty, but you get an idea of the size/shape/color anyway.
I'm just guessing Neoleptophlebia instead of Paraleptophlebia on this one because I tended to find more of their nymphs in the area, but take that with a grain of salt.
Size: 9mm. These photos really highlight the brown pigmentation of the wing venation, but in the hand the wings look to be a uniform smokey gray. - Entoman
12 Male Spinners
For a species not yet reported in my state, I've been surprised to find these in two different locations lately. I was tempted to think they're the more common Paraleptophlebia debilis, but the characteristic big dorsal bump on the claspers just isn't present.
I keyed this one out to species on the microscope because it was too small for the genitalia to show the distinguishing characteristics in the images here.
This specimen (and a few others I collected but didn't photograph) appear to represent the first finding of Paraleptophlebia sculleni outside the Oregon Cascades, although it is not a monumental leap from there to the Washington Cascades. The key characteristics are fairly clear.
Based on the pale longitudinal forewing veins (excepting the costals), dark middle terga, and genitalia (Burks '53), this specimen is P. adoptiva.
I wasn't actually fishing the river where I caught this one. I was just scouting, didn't like the look of the water, and as I was walking back to the car this little dun landed on my vest. Why can't they all be so easy to collect?
Near P. memorialis.
10 Female Spinners
I collected this specimen along with a female dun of the same species. Unfortunately it's not in very good shape.
After poking at it for a while under a microscope with a good scientific key in hand, I'm pretty sure this is either Leptophlebia cupida or Leptophlebia nebulosa. I can't tell which.
After poking at it for a while under a microscope with a good scientific key in hand, I'm pretty sure this is either Leptophlebia cupida or Leptophlebia nebulosa. I can't tell which.
I'm not positive of the collection date on this one, so I'm guessing.
I'm not positive of the collection date on this one, so I'm guessing.
This large female Leptophlebia spinner emerged from a nymph I was holding in my room one night. I didn't have time to photograph her and she molted into a spinner before I was home from work in the evening. So here she is as a spinner. I wish I had more photos at more angles, but she flew off and I couldn't find her.
This female is probably P. heteronea or P. memorialis since these are the two species collected during the last two weeks. It is interesting that the females are this very dark brown color while the males are lighter in color.
This female exhibits the dark chocolate color so common in this genus.
15 Nymphs
Some characteristics from the microscope images for the tentative species id: The postero-lateral projections are found only on segment 9, not segment 8. Based on the key in Jacobus et al. (2014), it appears to key to Neoleptophlebia adoptiva or Neoleptophlebia heteronea, same as this specimen with pretty different abdominal markings. However, distinguishing between those calls for comparing the lengths of the second and third segment of the labial palp, and this one (like the other one) only seems to have two segments. So I'm stuck on them both. It's likely that the fact that they're immature nymphs stymies identification in some important way.
This specimen keys to the Neoleptophlebia memorialis group, which means it could be Neoleptophlebia memorialis or Neoleptophlebia temporalis. In the absence of a clear species key, I'm just guessing memorialis for now.
This nymph keys pretty well to Neoleptophlebia. Under the microscope, the fork on the first gill is more symmetrical than it looks in the picture here. Following the species key in Jacobus et al. (2014), the lack of tusks on the head or postero-lateral spines on segment 8 leads to adoptiva or heteronea, but both refer to a 3-segmented labial palp as a key characteristic, and this one only seems to have two segments, just like another, different-looking specimen from the same sample. So I'm stuck.
I thought the end of the abdomen of this one was damaged during capture and transport, but I photographed it anyway because it looked different from the others. However, it became clear under the microscope that it was actually just mid-way through molting and the abdomen was intact underneath. I got a couple nice microscope photos showing that. The pattern of markings on the abdomen is still distinctive compared to the other specimen, which was more representative of a common nymph in my sample. This one was unique.
I thought the end of the abdomen of this one was damaged during capture and transport, but I photographed it anyway because it looked different from the others. However, it became clear under the microscope that it was actually just mid-way through molting and the abdomen was intact underneath. I got a couple nice microscope photos showing that. The pattern of markings on the abdomen is still distinctive compared to the other specimen, which was more representative of a common nymph in my sample. This one was unique.
2 Streamside Pictures of Leptophlebiidae Mayflies:
After I took this photo, this specimen was swept out of this tiny pool into a riffle downstream, where I swooped it up with my aquarium net and brought it home to photograph. See it up close here.
In this picture: Mayfly Species Neoleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill).
I found this little Paraleptophlebia dun along a Catskill stream, but not enough of her brethren were emerging to get the early-season trout to rise.
In this picture: Mayfly Genus Paraleptophlebia (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns).
Discussions of Leptophlebiidae
Steamntrout
Posted by Steamntrout on Jun 14, 2017 in the species Leptophlebia nebulosa
Last reply on Jun 14, 2017 by Steamntrout
Looking at Purdue's May Fly Central it shows nebulosa being found in Canada's Far North, North East and North West as well as USA's North East, South East & Far West.
Western Paraleptophlebia
17 replies
Posted by Entoman on Feb 4, 2012 in the genus Paraleptophlebia
Last reply on Feb 7, 2012 by Entoman
Paul wrote in another topic:
I largely agree, though they seem to be more tolerant of current than most genera of leptophlebiids. I have sampled them from riffles. In my experience (with an admitted western bias), they are far more important in the Fall. If an angler is lucky enough to be in place (and aware of them) when they are schooled up in preparation for hatching, some memorable nymphing can take place! :)
P. adoptiva is an eastern species. By far the most important species in the West is P. debilis, though they can be found mixed with others, particularly the unusual tusk bearing species bicornuta and in some locales packii. Anglers that occasionally come across these tuskers often confuse them with the immature burrowing ephemerids they resemble. Many anglers use their standard nymphs and do just fine with them. The PT is a popular pattern. Sometimes, a nymph that more accurately suggests their silhouette is the ticket. Because of their build and very obvious gills, they look more like a small long-tailed burrower than they do the typical baetid or ephemerellid, and it is good for the angler to keep this in mind.
Most duns and spinners are typically a rich brown, hence the name "Mahogany Dun." They can run the gamut from gray to almost black though, depending on the location. The slender bodies and coloration of the duns lead to them often being mistaken for baetids, but the oval vertically held hind wings and three tails make them easy to distinguish from that family. Check out this link to the hatch page for a look at the natural dun.
http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/752/Mayfly-Paraleptophlebia-debilis-Mahogany-Dun
Below are a couple of patterns I find very useful when this critter is about.
Mahogany Dun Nymph #16
Mahogany Paradun #16
Yes, the Paraleps can come about the same time as the tricaudatus, but don't start as early I think. And I think they were a mid-morning deal where tricaudatus has more of an afternoon peak. (Here in the rockies we're not supoosed to don't have the early P adoptiva, although last spring I found a single youngish nymph that my key would only take it to adoptiva -by gills if I remember right. Wish I'd pickled it and had it properly ID'd.
Anyway, back east I found the Paraleps emerged from slower currents and siltier substrates -often along stream edges. Whereas tricaudatus spilled out of the riffles. They could mix of course in certain places, but one could find one predominant if you wanted to (and I did bc I wanted to know each better), by focusing on key habitat.
Fly patterns could be identical really, although I had my own, esp for the nymphs. In fact, I'm still using some P adoptiva mimic parachutes (more a dun gray) during Baetis activity.
I largely agree, though they seem to be more tolerant of current than most genera of leptophlebiids. I have sampled them from riffles. In my experience (with an admitted western bias), they are far more important in the Fall. If an angler is lucky enough to be in place (and aware of them) when they are schooled up in preparation for hatching, some memorable nymphing can take place! :)
P. adoptiva is an eastern species. By far the most important species in the West is P. debilis, though they can be found mixed with others, particularly the unusual tusk bearing species bicornuta and in some locales packii. Anglers that occasionally come across these tuskers often confuse them with the immature burrowing ephemerids they resemble. Many anglers use their standard nymphs and do just fine with them. The PT is a popular pattern. Sometimes, a nymph that more accurately suggests their silhouette is the ticket. Because of their build and very obvious gills, they look more like a small long-tailed burrower than they do the typical baetid or ephemerellid, and it is good for the angler to keep this in mind.
Most duns and spinners are typically a rich brown, hence the name "Mahogany Dun." They can run the gamut from gray to almost black though, depending on the location. The slender bodies and coloration of the duns lead to them often being mistaken for baetids, but the oval vertically held hind wings and three tails make them easy to distinguish from that family. Check out this link to the hatch page for a look at the natural dun.
http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/752/Mayfly-Paraleptophlebia-debilis-Mahogany-Dun
Below are a couple of patterns I find very useful when this critter is about.
Mahogany Dun Nymph #16
Mahogany Paradun #16
Lepto question
1 replies
Posted by JasonM on Mar 6, 2010
Last reply on Mar 6, 2010 by Taxon
I live in Arizona and I have a question...
Over the past several years I have witnessed a spectacular emergence of mayflies on a stream I frequent in the Mogollon Rim area of Arizona. The stream is a tributary to the Little Colorado River drainage.
The adults seem to emerge on exposed midstream rocks of along the shoreline. The duns can be very dense, sometimes every rock along shore has one drying its wings beforetaking flight They are a dark greyish brown bodied, dark grey winged adult, I have named them MOCHA DUNS for lack of knowledge of their true identity. Three tails on the adult as well. They are pretty big....a big size 14 to 16. I have captured several specimens as larvae that I believe are the same species as the ones I have observed as adults. The larvae have prominent gills. 3 long split tails, similar size and color, hign densities along shore and in the shallows, etc. I'm 90% sure that they are Leptophlebiidae. But I don't know the species, yet.
The trout don't seem to key in on the adults...since they emerge on land...but I have experienced some incredible fishing during very windy days while the hatch is on. The nymphs appear to have trouble holding on to the substrates they are trying to emerge on. I have witessed several swimming to a streamside cobble, grasping the rock for a moment, only to be swepped back into the water by small, lapping waves being caused by the wind. They try repeatedly but seem to get exhausted pretty quickly. They must be easy picking for fish cruising along the bank, as I have great success fishing imitations along the shore with short twitches. I have rarely seen duns on the surface of the stream, even on the windiest of days. They seem to emerge late morning to early afternoon.
CAN ANYBODY SUGGEST WHAT SPECIES THIS MAYBE. I don't have a scope or any literature anymore. I have experience with ID'ing but not lately
Any help would be appreciated by this inquisitive angler. Thanks
Jason Mszaros
The Drag Free School of Fly Fishing
928-273-9445
Over the past several years I have witnessed a spectacular emergence of mayflies on a stream I frequent in the Mogollon Rim area of Arizona. The stream is a tributary to the Little Colorado River drainage.
The adults seem to emerge on exposed midstream rocks of along the shoreline. The duns can be very dense, sometimes every rock along shore has one drying its wings beforetaking flight They are a dark greyish brown bodied, dark grey winged adult, I have named them MOCHA DUNS for lack of knowledge of their true identity. Three tails on the adult as well. They are pretty big....a big size 14 to 16. I have captured several specimens as larvae that I believe are the same species as the ones I have observed as adults. The larvae have prominent gills. 3 long split tails, similar size and color, hign densities along shore and in the shallows, etc. I'm 90% sure that they are Leptophlebiidae. But I don't know the species, yet.
The trout don't seem to key in on the adults...since they emerge on land...but I have experienced some incredible fishing during very windy days while the hatch is on. The nymphs appear to have trouble holding on to the substrates they are trying to emerge on. I have witessed several swimming to a streamside cobble, grasping the rock for a moment, only to be swepped back into the water by small, lapping waves being caused by the wind. They try repeatedly but seem to get exhausted pretty quickly. They must be easy picking for fish cruising along the bank, as I have great success fishing imitations along the shore with short twitches. I have rarely seen duns on the surface of the stream, even on the windiest of days. They seem to emerge late morning to early afternoon.
CAN ANYBODY SUGGEST WHAT SPECIES THIS MAYBE. I don't have a scope or any literature anymore. I have experience with ID'ing but not lately
Any help would be appreciated by this inquisitive angler. Thanks
Jason Mszaros
The Drag Free School of Fly Fishing
928-273-9445
Paralep Hatching Behavior
9 replies
Posted by Shawnny3 on Apr 6, 2009 in the genus Paraleptophlebia
Last reply on Apr 29, 2009 by Taxon
I can't remember where I read or heard these things (might have been on this site), but I want to make sure my vague recollections are not totally false. When Paraleptophlebia are mating, do they make exaggerated dives in clouds above the stream? If so, do they often end up in the water at these times or do they fall as spinners much later? Finally, when they emerge, do they do so at the stream bottom and then swim to the surface as duns?
Thanks for any help,
Shawn
Thanks for any help,
Shawn
Southeast Mayflies
24 replies
Posted by DarkDun on Nov 20, 2006 in the species Leptophlebia cupida
Last reply on Mar 4, 2007 by Taxon
This is one of the species that seem to be prevalent in our area of southwest NC. It emerges in March as I recall and again in October on certain streams. I would like to confirm that this next season.
Start a Discussion of Leptophlebiidae
References
- Arbona, Fred Jr. 1989. Mayflies, the Angler, and the Trout. Nick Lyons Books.
- Jacobus, L. M., Wiersema, N.A., and Webb, J.M. 2014. Identification of Far Northern and Western North American Mayfly Larvae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera), North of Mexico; Version 2. Joint Aquatic Science meeting, Portland, OR. Unpublished workshop manual. 1-176.
Mayfly Family Leptophlebiidae (Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns)
Taxonomy
Genus in Leptophlebiidae
Habrophlebia
0
0
Habrophlebiodes
0
0
LeptophlebiaBlack Quills
20
96
Neochoroterpes
0
0
Neoleptophlebia
25
164
ParaleptophlebiaBlue Quills and Mahogany Duns
22
81
Thraulodes
0
0
Traverella
0
0
Genus in Leptophlebiidae: Habrophlebia, Habrophlebiodes, Leptophlebia, Neochoroterpes, Neoleptophlebia, Paraleptophlebia, Thraulodes, Traverella
3 genera (Choroterpes, Farrodes, and Hydrosmilodon) aren't included.